Treatment

All treatments are preceded by a comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment.

Treatment may be provided on an out-patient, day patient or in-patient basis.

For in-patients, the Centre has some short-stay beds located in the new Acute Services Building, and insured patients may also receive in-patient treatment at the co-located North Shore Private Hospital. These beds are used primarily for investigations and implantations.

Multimodal treatment will often be necessary because of the array of problems associated with chronic pain, which may each need to be addressed in order to achieve a favourable outcome.

Treatments options:

Multimodal treatment will often be necessary because of the array of problems associated with chronic pain, which may each need to be addressed in order to achieve a favourable outcome.

Treatment options:

Pharmacotherapy including rationalisation of current medication, where necessary weaning of opioid drugs, and targeting of neuropathic pain with specific agents

Individual physiotherapy services such as training in self-directed exercise and activity programs, reduction in use of unnecessary aids, postural analysis and correction, etc. Often the individualized physiotherapy is combined with sessions with one of our clinical psychologists.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and acupuncture

ADAPT program (15 days over 3 weeks)

Intervene program (9 days over 3 weeks)

Seniors program (eight 3-hour sessions over 4 weeks)

Regardless of the use of pharmacotherapy, neural blockade or other options to reduce pain, many working age patients will require treatment with one of the Centre’s cognitive behavioural programs (the ADAPT program or the Intervene Program) which aim to assist patients to return to as normal as possible physical and mental functioning, which have invariably been impaired in association with chronic pain. The Seniors program offers the same approaches for patients aged over 65 years.